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Air Force sends test pilots into cyberspace

Monday - 5/14/2012, 8:29am EDT

The Air Force is sending its future test-pilots into cyberspace in recognition of the dangers cyberattacks can pose to the service's mission.

The Air Force Test Pilot School in California has rolled out a new course that requires students to apply a process known as Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. The four-hour class tests students' abilities to find cyber vulnerabilities on a range of systems.

For example, school officials said, students should recognize cyber threats that can hurt precision airdrop missions. They said with this course the school was catching up. It was "a little behind" when it came to teaching cyber.

This story is part of Federal News Radio's daily Cybersecurity Update. For more cybersecurity news, click here.